


One (1) New Notification

by JoifulDreaming



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoifulDreaming/pseuds/JoifulDreaming
Summary: A You've Got Mail AUEDIT TO ADD: This story is on indefinite hiatus until I figure out what I want to do with it.  Keep that in mind if you start it.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

DING!

Crowley rolls over in bed and picks up his phone. It's... 2 in the morning?

“YOU'VE GOT A NOTIFICATION!” A smile lights up his face as he swipes to open the chat app.

“RareTome41: Don't you just love the city in the spring? I woke up extra early this morning just so I could throw open the windows and listen to the world wake itself up while I had my tea...”

Crowley snorts, but smiles and keeps on scrolling, the light from the phone the only light in his flat.

“I'm so often in such a controlled environment, it's nice to experience the world now and again. And I thought to myself, I wonder what SpeednCaffiene is up to at this hour. Sleeping, I expect. I wonder what your plans are for the day.”

“SpeednCaffiene: Nope, that's exactly the kind of personal detail we don't share here,” Crowley taps out, “ Keeping it free and easy, eh? I was sleeping, though, but I'm still happy to hear from you. Even if you are up- and getting me up- infuriatingly early. Enjoy your tea.”

Crowley closes the app and gets up for the day. He walks through his routine in a daze, ending up at the the door to his shop, not even remembering exactly how his feet got him there.

“Hey! I thought I had the morning shift!” A tall, young woman with large round glasses is unlocking the door when he arrives, “and what's got you smiling so early in the morning?”

“Don't you just love the city in the spring, Anathema? The sounds and the smells as it wakes up?” Crowley walks in as she holds the door, giving him a funny look.

“Are you drunk before five in the morning, boss?” She goes behind the counter and turns on the various coffee machines and ovens, while Crowley drifts over to the register, unlocking it and checking the drawer.

“Of course not. Can't a bloke enjoy a nice spring day?”

“Okay, spill, who is he?”

“Who is who?”

“You've met someone. That's the only explanation!”

“I haven't met someone...”

Anathema comes around the counter and leans next to the register, giving him a pointed look.

“Okay, I've sort of met someone.”

“Sort of?”

“Well... I don't know him in real life.” Crowley fiddles with the register. “We should open.”

“You know him over the internet then?”

“It's an app, okay?”

“Do yourself a favor: don't meet him. It's always a disappointment. Everyone's just out for sex on those apps- it's a meat market.”

Crowley goes to the door and flips the sign from closed to open, flicking on the lights at the front of the coffee shop and also the neon red sign on the front window reading “The Infernal Bean” inside an outline of a mug with a devil's tail for a handle.

“It's not like that, Ana. We don't exchange any real information about ourselves... Nothing concrete or personal. He doesn't know what I do and I don't know what he does. We just. Chat. We're chat friends.”

“Mmhmm...” Crowley's sure she would have more to say but their first customers are dragging in to the shop now, regulars by the looks of them, and their work day is starting.


	2. Chapter 2

DING!

It takes Aziraphale a couple tries to swipe open the app, still not used to this smart phone- honestly not sure he wants to get used to it. But, he'd be informed by his bosses that a smart phone was now necessary for his job. Besides, he had found some fun in it: and here it was.

“YOU'VE GOT A NOTIFICATION!”

“SpeednCaffiene: Nope, that's exactly the kind of personal detail we don't share here. Keeping it free and easy, eh? I was sleeping, though, but I'm still happy to hear from you. Even if you are up- and getting me up- infuriatingly early. Enjoy your tea.”

Aziraphale chuckles then sighs. He was becoming very fond of SpeednCaffiene and he wishes... Well, he wishes they could get to know one another a little better. What was so personal about what one planned to do for the day? Surely that could be said in a vague way. Though, he had agreed to this from the start: nothing personal. And it was fun, having a pocket friend. Especially when he had so few friends in this unfamiliar city. 

His company- Ethereal Books Co.- had only just opened up a new discount bookstore here and sent him to run the used and rare book section within it. It was an honor, they had said, to be in charge of his own section; a promotion, for sure. His new bosses in-store didn't see it that way. Despite having only been open for a few days, they were already making his life difficult. They were all about the profit to be made off of brand new books, not at all seeing the benefit of having a used book section in the store. Thankfully, they couldn't fire him- his contract was solid and went above their heads. What they could do, though, was hold him to the letter of the contract and that's precisely what they were doing: yes he was untouchable and a manager of his own department, but only so long as he fulfilled the other side of the contract: snooping on and running other, competing businesses into the ground. It was nasty work and he wanted nothing to do with it... But, this was his job. It was just business, nothing personal. He had to look out for his company. And, really, if those other businesses were meant to thrive, then they would have done so.

He bustles into the store just before it's opening at 7am, leaving his hat and umbrella on the hooks by the employee entrance. He was planning to make a beeline for his department to spend the day rearranging the stock to fit in the books that had just arrived: having found them on a trip last week. But, the young barista from the coffee bar was waving him over.

“Newt,” Aziraphale wrinkles his nose, “have you still not figured out how to not burn the coffee? Are you sure this is the job for you?”

“Of course, I can make coffee! I've been a barista my whole adult life,” Newt tries on a wounded look, but only holds it for a moment, “I mean, not that it matters. Most people don't know the difference between a dark roast and a burnt bean. Besides, they have me put so many things in with the coffee I'm not sure it is coffee by the time the customers are drinking it...”

Aziraphale makes a noncommittal noise.

“Anyway, the bosses are in a mood today. Protests outside yesterday afternoon.”

“Protesting the Big Bad Book Store.”

“We've come to end civilization as they know it.”

“We'll win them in the end, though. We always win in the end. People can't argue against discounted books and sugary coffee forever!”

“Sure thing, but uh, I would just keep my head down today.”

“Was planning to anyway, I received a new shipment last night!”

Newt smiles and gives him a mock salute, slipping him a freshly warmed scone. Aziraphale wanders off to shuffle his new books into place.


End file.
